After reading your review and the other posts on your blog, I must admit my hesitancy over throwing the Lagavulin 16 under the bus, as it were. The bottle still sits on my whiskey shelf and not in some hand basket awaiting a Christmas re-gifting scheme.

I have tried the Balvenie 15, and I must say it has an unrivaled esophageal warmth, making it my whiskey of choice on cold, damp evenings. However, we get so few of them in the Central Valley of California; only in December, when the fog hangs low and wet, do I reach for this fire-breathing spirit.

My first experience with “Scotch,” beyond the obligatory Johnnie Walker Black Label and a 12-year-old Chivas Regal, was a small bottle of 18-year-old Glenfiddich, a mighty fine and never-a-harsh taste, if I may say so. But some might find it a tad characterless, but not me.

I would have to say now my go-to spirit is the Glenmorangie 10, and when I have a hankering for a slight caramel taste, the Macallan 12 isn’t bad at all. The Glenlivet 12 is also refreshing, but not quite as involving as, let’s say, the Balvenie.

So, I think I have a ways to go before I can more fully embrace the Lagavulin 16. Meanwhile, I will take you Whiskey Fanatic Test to see how far I have come.

Cheers and Merry Christmas!

As for “mistaking” the aroma for iodine, I don’t think that’s a mistake, or limited to the virgin palate. There’s definitely an iodine presence there. If in doubt, rub some Lagavulin 16 on a piece of paper and let it sit for a while. The iodine sticks around after most of the other aromas die down.

Cheers,
Jeff

I’m new to Lagavulin so I cannot possibly do it justice by reviewing it to any extent; I will let others do that.

But I will say Lagavulin is for a mature taste because this whiskey has a complex and very strong peat and smoke flavor that could be mistaken for the aroma of iodine on a more virgin palette. If one is looking for a smooth, delicate, and refined experience, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

http://www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/rpts/dolc.liquor.pricelist.txt

PLUS – it’s a text-list, not even a true database. Other than Laphroaig 10 at $38, it’s a total waste – and Ohio *never* actually gets the good stuff. Most ABC states don’t get any kind of allocation on the cooler items – even if they agree to carry them. Distributors and Distillers don’t want to work with ABC folks.

Oh – did I mention that it’s *technically* illegal to mail order alcohol to Michigan? Binny’s and K&L won’t do it – a few will, but most won’t… have to search to find the folks willing to risk it…

OH- remind me to recount my Holiday journey to Kentucky – we hit 6 of the 8 distilleries between over 2.5 days just after Christmas. Was a BLAST – learned a ton, met Elmer T. Lee himself @ Buffalo Trace, learned that Four Roses is REALLY REALLY good – picked up some really cool stuff in Kentucky at The Party Source… was a blast.

The various state and federal regulations on liquor seem so backwards in this age of global commerce.

So – your store price in NYC is nearly 1/2 off our price…

We get some good deals on certain things – esp. certain Bourbon and Laphroigs, but there’s other stuff that’s stratospheric…

If you ever want, just for grins, to see what a “state controlled” liquor selection looks like, check out this site:

http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/lcc_code/sr_lcc.asp

Just use the drop down to select the “type” (Scotch, Straight Bourbon, Straigh Rye, etc.). 95% of the stores here sell at “State Minimum” – and that’s the lowest price legally allowed. But you can always upcharge – and some do on “premium” or hard to find items… but you can almost always find it at state minimum…

FWIW: This is the *absolute* list of what’s legally allowed to be sold in the state. Michigan buys the stuff from 3 total distributors at fixed prices based on what’s “decided” by some office dweeb in Lansing along with the distributors themselves, and then re-sells to the stores.

Stuff like Longrow, Four Roses, more obscure/specialty expressions and lots of independent bottlers are never even sold here.

Further, there’s probably 20+ items in the Scotch list that, while approved, are never “allocated” to the state – so you won’t see them despite being on the “list”